Wolf By Moonlight
by Accidental Insults
Summary: Mirri is back in the future, about to graduate from high school, and in for the surprise of her life. Six total chapter sequel to Brown Eyes. Rated M to be safe.
1. Prologue: Tomorrow

Prologue

_Sometimes, life can be an extreme pain in the ass. It can throw you into a situation that starts off on the wrong page, but then circumstances change and you love it only to be thrown around again. Take me for instance. I was sent, against my will, to a place and time that didn't exist ( I hadn't thought it did, at least): Hogwarts. Not at the time traditional when thinking of the place, no, Harry Potter wasn't even considered yet. I was sent to the time when his parents didn't even get along. That's right: the time when the Marauders were running rampant on the school grounds._

_There, I found myself in the extremely amazing situation of being able to do magic, to become an Animagus, and to be entrusted to the care and protection of one Remus Lupin. Dumbledore's orders for the last one, and I was not complaining in the least. All of these things happened without my consent, though. I was sent against my will, and just when I was settling in fairly well, trouble started._

_You see, good things never seem to last long with me. Not two months into my visit, an unwelcome entity threatened my new friends and lifestyle. Death was predicted in the near future for James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily._

_During the waiting period, because he was supposed to take care of me, a bond exceeding the perimeters of normal care-taking formed between myself and Remus. A bond that has still held even after I have come back to my own time._

_After the combined spells performed by the Marauders, Lily, and me, I was sent back to Boston, Massachusetts with the body of my dead third cousin. I figured out later that the spells directly stated what would happen, though I didn't know it at the time. It was simple. I just needed to read all of the incantations backwards:_

Send me back where I belong. Send the evil that has followed into death and despair.

_Depressing, but entirely effective. I had a fear of what would happen when I returned, for I had been gone for nearly five months. I emerged in a clearing surrounded by trees and my cousin's body collapsed into ashes. Good riddance. I walked home, recognizing the signs of the park._

_After two hours of walking, I made it home, took the spare key out from under a rock, and went inside._



The lights were out and the house was silent. Nervously, Mirri made her way into the living room. As she turned on the overhead light, a tumultuous shout of "Surprise! Welcome home!" had whirling around with her wand in hand; a split second later she quickly stashed it back in her jeans and rushed into the arms of Jean and David Libra, her parents.

"Did you enjoy your stay in England, sweetheart?" Jean asked, kissing her temple.

Mirri pulled back, her face pale, "How did you know that?"

"You've only been on the foreign exchange program for nearly half a year," a voice said sarcastically behind her.

Mirri turned to find her living room filled with familiar faces. Her friends from school: Holly, Essey, Isabella, Cecile, Juliette, Luna, and her little brother Joseph.

She collapsed in the nearest chair.

"Are you all right?" her father asked worriedly.

Mirri nodded and smiled at him, though tears filled her eyes. "I'm fine. It's just good to be home."



_My family and friends thought that I had gone on a foreign exchange trip to England. Good, I wasn't going to make them think otherwise. The only thing that I couldn't do was tell them exactly what I did during my stay. I couldn't tell them that I was at Hogwarts, or that I was capable of doing magic; they would lock me in an asylum. What I did instead was write down what happened in a story called _Brown Eyes_. My friends loved it. What I didn't share was how true the story it was._

_During the past three years, I have relived those few months over and over again in my mind, sometimes wondering if it actually happened. Only three things kept me from thinking it was all a dream: one: I still had the ability to do magic (that was probably the biggest dead give-away ever for me), two: I still had he device that led me home-a small iridescent purple orb, and three: I had landed in the clearing with the wolf necklace Remus had given me clutched in my hand._

_I am now in my senior year of high school. My friends and I have sent in our applications out to various colleges, hoping for acceptance letters. Nothing has changed, and yet, everything is tremendously different. My friends seem to have noticed the change in me since I came back from my trip. They have know idea what's wrong with me, but little do they know that the answer is right under their noses._



As Mirri walked into her home, she heard excited voices in the kitchen. Quietly, she crept up to the door.

Her mother and father were talking at the table, "She'll find out tomorrow. Don't you think it will be better this way?"

The creak from Mirri's foot on one of the many floorboards prevented her father from responding and sending the two of them to their feet.

"I'm home," Mirri said lamely, "What's going on? What's that?" she pointed to a piece of paper in Jean's hand.

Jean jumped, "Oh, this? It's just a bill. Will you put it away, David?" He walked out of the room with a quick kiss to Mirri's forehead.

"So, how was school today?" her mother asked almost too sweetly.

Mirri shrugged, her mind still suspicious. "Same as always. I've got to finish my calculus homework."

"All right, sweetie," Jean smiled as Mirri walked away.

_What's going on tomorrow?_ she kept thinking.



"'…The last thing he saw of her were her tear-filled brown eyes.'" Holly sat back and sighed, passing the story to Juliette. "I love that ending, no matter how sad it is."

"Must you keep reading it aloud?" Mirri groaned, "I swear, it's understandable if you've just read the damn thing, but I finished the book two years ago."

"That doesn't make the novel any less romantic," Isabella said around her bite full of crackers.

It was lunchtime the next day seeing Mirri and her friends sitting out on the library's steps enjoying the sunny, warm, May day. Picking up her other book and pretending to read, Mirri continued worrying about what her parents had been talking about the day before. They hadn't mentioned anything at dinner, and now she was in a rush to finish the day and get home so that she could pester them for answers.

The constant chatter around her made her look up in confusion. "What's the matter?"

"There's some guy walking over here," Essey answered.

Mirri saw the cap-wearing male making his way over and shrugged, going back to perusing her book. No big deal, guys were entitled to wander the school grounds during lunchtime without being suspicious.

She felt him stop in front of the group. No one spoke for a moment.

"Well?" Essey asked, not unkindly, "Who are you and what can we help you with?"

"I'm new," the man said, his voice deeply English-accented. "May I sit here?"

The book slipped out of Mirri's hand with a thud as she slowly turned her head at the new comer, unable to believe her ears. His name slipped from her mouth in so soft a tone, no one heard her. His gold eyes twinkled at her as he removed his hat.

The others were looking between the two, confusion written on all of their faces.

He smiled, opened his arms, and said, "Hello, Mirri. It's me, John Karem."

She laughed the happiest she had since she came back to Boston, jumped down from the steps and threw herself into his arms. Even if he called himself something different, he was the same Remus Lupin to her.


	2. Chapter 1: Old Friends

**A/N: Thanks for the patience!! I'm back!**

Chapter 1 Old Friends

Remus spun Mirri around in his arms, both laughing with pure joy at the reunion.

"How did you get here?" she asked him, when he put her down, a smile permanently plastered to her face. Her hands ran over the features of his face, unwilling to believe that he was actually here.

"I can explain everything to you later when we're _alone_," he answered softly, his hands running over her features as well, looking behind her as someone coughed pointedly.

"_Shiess_," she muttered into his shoulder before turning around. She didn't want to share him just yet. Keeping one arm firmly around his waist, with his arm tight across her shoulders, she said, "Everyone, this is John Karem. My…"

"Boyfriend," he answered, giving her a blinding smile, "but only if she'll still have me and if she doesn't have a boyfriend. We met when she came to England."

Mirri's friends gave sly grins as Mirri's blush answered for her. Another obvious cough brought her back to earth.

"Right, yes," she giggled, "Well, _John_, these are my friends: Luna, Essey, Juliette, Holly, Isabella, and Cecile."

"What brings you to the states, John?" Holly asked, adjusting her glasses, though her gaze on Mirri made the response rather evident.

"Curiosity," he replied cryptically.

"You never told us you met anyone on your trip, Mirri," Essey accused.

"Really?" Mirri asked, "I thought I did."

"So _that's_ why you've been acting differently since you came back. You never told us," Juliette said.

"I'm sorry," Mirri mumbled. The arm around her shoulders tightened reassuringly. She shot the owner of said arm a smile.

"Why didn't you tell us about this?" Cecile wondered.

"I thought I did," Mirri admitted, "I honestly thought I told you guys."

"My question is for John," Holly stated, walking up to the pair, "Got any friends?"

"Holly," Mirri reprimanded.

"It's okay, Mirri," Remus interrupted, sending her into happy chills at the sound of her name on his lips, "Yes," he answered, "though they are back in England."

"Then who are they?" Essey asked, pointing behind them.

Mirri and Remus whirled around to see four figures walking towards them. Three men and a woman. The tallest dark-haired man was shockingly handsome and rugged, his jeans torn at the knees walking next to a black haired man, handsome, but not as blatant next to the other, and a small, mouse-haired man-boy, almost-grinning like mad next to the woman.

"Oh, my God," Mirri whispered.

"I came alone," Remus mumbled, "How the hell did they follow me?"

"I'm not complaining," she breathed in his ear before walking forward to meet the beautiful curly redhead in a collision of squeals and hugs. "I can't believe it!"

When Lily Evans let go Mirri was immediately seized around the middle in a familiar massive, bone-crushing hug.

"Put her down, Jason," Lily laughed.

Mirri whirled to face the familiar, handsome-as-ever dog. "Sirius," she whispered.

"It's great to see you, Mirri," he whispered back in her ear as he gave her a normal squeeze.

She smiled in return as she ran to Peter and James. "You got contacts," she said to the latter as she hugged him, noticing the absence of his black-rimmed specs.

James just grinned.

A touch on her shoulder caused her to look up at Remus. He pointedly looked toward her high school friends who each had her mouth hanging. Mirri herself was in such a state of shock; it was a wonder her heart didn't fail at the intensity. Holding on to weak muscle, she smiled and began to give introductions, pausing when she realized she couldn't give real names. What aliases were they going by?

James noticed her blank, confused look and quickly came to her rescue: "I'm Richard Morgan."

"Michael Kepp," Peter gasped out after James elbowed him in the ribs.

"Tina Harp," Lily smiled.

"Jason Hassett," Sirius said, smiling at the look of gratitude on Mirri's face.

Each of Mirri's high school friends introduced themselves and immediately flocked around Sirius and James. Remus pulled Mirri aside.

Making sure that the others were thoroughly occupied, he whispered, "I just wanted you to know that I didn't intentionally bring them with me. I-"

"-'Came alone.' I know, Remus," she replied, giving him a blinding smile, "But do you really think that they would let you leave them out of this? You came to the muggle future! I'm much too happy to see you again to let this bother me."

Remus grinned despite himself, his eyes growing softer, "I have missed you so much," he sighed, pulling her into another hug. "You don't really have a boyfriend do you? You didn't answer and I don't want to have to kill someone to have you back."

"No, I don't," she replied, "You still have that title, though it's a little dusty."

Mirri relaxed in his embrace, realizing as she did the changes in his frame that the past few years have done to him. Her five-foot-four height used to reach eye level, but now she could comfortably tuck her head under his chin. Well-defined muscles became more apparent as his arms tightened around her.

"You're too thin," she complained, pulling away, "Very muscular, but too thin."

"And you've gotten shorter," he replied, grinning at her, "Kissing you will give me back pain from bending over so much."

She fixed him with a glare. "Oh, the horror."

His mouth twisted into a sly lopsided smirk, "I'm going to have to find new ways to make it the easiest possible way. It will take a lot of experimentation, but I'm sure we'll get the hang of it. In the meantime…" he quickly snatched her up, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist as she shrieked. "Let's start with this. You, as close to me as possible," his voice dropped to a husky whisper in her ear.

Mirri groaned, "When the hell did you become so good at making my insides melt?"

"Years without you," he replied, leaning forward to kiss her finally.

She stopped him with a finger to his lips. His eyes searched hers pleadingly; she gazed back with uncovered want. "As much as I would love to make up for lost time, I'm afraid the 'Fun Nazi,' our assistant principal, would catch us for some massive P.D.A." she admitted with a strong sense of self-restraint as he put her down.

"Not only that, but you would also have to deal with some very disturbed friends, who have no intention of letting the two of you reacquaint yourselves in our presence," Lily said behind them.

Mirri blushed scarlet before turning in his grasp. He kept his arms firmly locked around her waist.

"Lunch will be over in about a minute anyway," Essey stated, looking at her watch. "You wouldn't have enough time. What do you guys have for your final class?" she asked of the Marauders and Lily.

It ended up being that Lily, Peter, and Sirius would head to band with Cecile, Isabella, and Essey with their instruments of flute, tuba, and drums respectively while James and Remus would head to orchestra with Mirri, Holly and Juliette playing violin and cello.

Mirri looked around at her Hogwarts friends as if for the first time, trying to recall ever reading about their musical talents in the novels. "I didn't know that you played instruments," she finally admitted.

"We're just full of _magical_ surprises, aren't we?" Sirius smirked, winking at her.

She grinned, realizing that their talent might not be as real as she thought just as the bell for class rang. "All right. You five," she pointed at her Hogwarts friends, "I want you to meet me in the orchestra room after school and we'll head to my house."

When she saw nods all around, the entire group parted ways. James and Remus followed Mirri, Holly, and Juliette to the orchestra room.

"Even after we got to know you, Mirri, we still never found out that you played an instrument," James said, "What is it? Viola; violin?"

"Harp," she said, then added, "and piano when there's no harp part."

"Didn't see that one coming," James laughed, turning to the other two. "What about you?"

"Violin, as well," Juliette smiled, "and harp, sometimes."

"Viola," Holly said. "Are you two good?"

"We're okay," Remus shrugged, "The boarding school we went to didn't have a music program, but our parents made us play and practice."

"Hmm," Mirri muttered, raising an eyebrow at him in skepticism.

"James, Lily, and I had real lessons," he spoke in her ear, low enough not to carry to their companions, "Peter and Sirius have a little help with enchanted instruments."

"Nice," she laughed, shaking her head.

The tardy bell rang just as the five walked into the orchestra room. The girls took their seats while Remus and James stood in the back of the room, waiting for instructions.

Every girl in the room (with the exception of Mirri, Juliette, and Holly) was staring at the two boys with open mouths, taking in the handsome foreign men. From James' rugged look to Remus' gold eyes, they were a sight. The boys in the room were looking around at the awestruck women and passing glares at the two men while Mirri herself sent glares from her seat at the piano at the other girls for their elevator glances. She could almost feel the estrogen level increasing.

She caught Remus' eye. He smiled at her reassuringly and winked. She smiled in return before facing the front where Mr. Roberts, the middle-aged teacher, was taking the podium.

"I'm sure everyone has noticed our new students. Misters John Karem and Richard Morgan coming to join us from England. A cello and a violin, if I'm not mistaken?" The two nodded. Mr. Roberts smiled, "Excellent! Please, grab your instruments and join us; we are working on graduation music. Everyone, start tuning."

The sounds of A-strings being tuned flooded the room as Remus and James went to the ensemble room. Mirri watched the two of them discreetly look around before waving a hand and materializing two cases: one for a cello, and one for a violin. As they came to their seats, she caught Remus' eye. "Nice," she mouthed.

Remus flashed her a coy smile.

It was apparent the moment everyone started playing that "John" and "Richard" were Julliard-worthy. Their notes were just more pure, full of more feeling, and they were just all around a better quality of player than the high school was used to.



Class could not have passed more slowly for Mirri as she shifted out of anxiousness for the umpteenth time, watching as the females of the room kept blatantly flirting with James and Remus. Granted, the boys were doing pretty well deflecting the invitations, but still, Mirri never hated her own gender more than today.

As soon as the bell rang for the end of classes, Mirri grabbed James and Remus (choruses of high-pitched good-byes raced after them) and rushed to the band room, too restless to wait for the others to show up.

"I must say," Remus said, slowing them down, "it is rather endearing that you would be so jealous of a bunch of girls."

Mirri groaned, "You must not have seen their faces." When they opened the door to the band room, she groaned again. "Why must you Hogwarts wizards be so damn attractive?" she hissed at Remus. "Seriously, it's as if the magic intensifies the good looks. Lily is being flocked by all the guys in here as well!"

James' eyes narrowed and he stalked forward to pull Lily away. Sirius and Peter detached themselves from the hoard of females and Mirri led them away to her car.

Once everyone walked out to the parking lot, Lily stated, "These are all very strange looking cars."

"Muggle cars?" James, Sirius, and Peter demanded, looking warily at each shiny vehicle.

"Though they don't run on magic, they are perfectly safe," Mirri replied, unlocking the doors to a dark green SUV. The frightened expressions on the boys' faces increased as they got inside. Remus and Lily laughed.

"Then how does it run if not by magic?" Peter asked, glancing nervously around as if the car would suddenly burst into flame.

"Gasoline," came the response as the car roared into life. "Meet Muggle magic."

Driving home, Mirri spent the majority of the time explaining (to the best of her ability) how the car, the radio, the lights on the buildings, and anything scientific on or by the road worked. To each explanation Sirius muttered, "Unbelievable."

Peter just gave skeptical snorts.

Once Mirri pulled into the driveway of an old white two-story home and turned off the engine, the tension in Peter, James, and Sirius' shoulders visibly eased. "Welcome home," Mirri whispered, her eyes traveling over the new remodeled home. Keeping its old time feel, the Libras had added a second story and freshly painted the quaint house. Olive green shutters balanced the deep cherry red door with gardens creeping with ivy around the porch. She touched the door softly in pleasure as she unlocked it.

"Mom? Joseph? I'm home! And I've brought a surprise," she winked at her friends.

"Oh!" and muffled exclamation came from the kitchen, "Have they arrived, then?"

Everyone froze, no one's expression more shocked than Mirri's as she gaped open-mouthed at her mother coming through the doorway. Dark brown curls bounced around the excited young face of Jean Libra, a beautiful, more mature version of her daughter.

"How did you know they were coming?" Mirri managed.

Jean handed her a note. Mirri automatically glanced down at it but was unable to focus on the fancy script or the elaborate heading. "Their headmaster at Hogsmeath sent this letter two months ago requesting we be the host family for these kids. I wanted it to be a surprise. It seemed to have worked; you obviously had no idea. But come! Come into the living room, kids, and make yourself at home while I get snacks. I have no idea how long you'll be staying but I hope it's going to be a little bit at least." She bustled out of the living room, still talking while everyone sank, still frozen in shock, onto the various couches and chairs.

A long nervous pause ensued as they brought themselves back from panic. "Well," Sirius said slowly, "at least your mum's cool with it."

They all looked to Mirri for her reaction. She nodded gradually. "We'll talk about this later," she choked, struggling to compose her face before her mother came back into the room. Remus worriedly put a hand on her neck about to say something when Jean swirled back into the room with a tray of drinks and cookies. He quickly put his hand down.

"Thank-you very much, Mrs. Libra," he said as everyone reached for a glass and a cookie.

She waved her hand dismissively, "Please, call me Jean. Tell me, kids, how you met Mirri. She never shared that she met anyone in England. If anything, it seemed as if she didn't want to talk about it."

Five pairs of eyes looked to Mirri, who was trying to keep her face calm. The complete truth was out of the question, but the majority of it could be told, right? Lily smiled and turned to Jean. "Well…"



Lily was a professional at weaving stories. She shared much of the truth within the fabrications of lies so well that she had Jean practically eating the lies out of her hand. Jean kept questioning Mirri why she hadn't told this story; it was amazing! All Mirri could do was smile apologetically. At the end, Jean released them with an amazed shake of the head to go up to Mirri's room.

And so, they walked upstairs into the turquoise-walled room, covered in pictures of whales and a bookshelf overflowing with books. "Do you like whales, Mirri?" Sirius asked obviously.

"Only a little bit," she laughed in response, "I plan on being a marine biologist. Maybe."

Peter and Sirius plopped in the chairs, Lily and James sat on the bed, and Remus and Mirri leaned against the banister by the stairs. Remus immediately entwined their fingers in her lap.

Mirri sighed to release the fretful tension in her shoulders and began with light questions. Looking at Lily and James she asked, "When did this happen?" She glanced pointedly at the engagement ring on her finger.

Lily smiled and placed the hand on James' knee. "Seventh year was when we started dating after he stopped being a git. He proposed last fall."

Mirri's eyes widened. "How long have you guys been out of school?"

"A year and a half," Peter replied, "Why? How far off are we?"

"I am just ending the equivalent of my seventh year now," Mirri paled, "I've been gone from the wizarding world for only a couple of years. I just turned eighteen last September. You all have to be twenty!"

"Not me," Remus said, "I'll be twenty in May."

"It _is_ May, Remus!" she erupted lurching to her feet, "May fifth of 2007, and time has completely screwed up our ages now! You've been waiting two years longer in the past than I have."

"Time has screwed up," Sirius said, "we left in October and now it's the day before your twentieth birthday, Moony."

"What?!" Mirri exclaimed whirling to face Remus.

He calmly pulled her back to the floor beside him. "It's alright, Mirri. A year and a half difference in age is not a bad thing. It's nothing to get worked up about."

"But that was two extra years of suffering for you," she whispered, "My two and a half years have been hell. How could I have lasted longer than that?"

"You look like you managed just fine," he replied gently, tracing a thumb over her cheek.

She smiled weakly before shrieking and jumping to her feet. A miniature Mirri as a boy peered through the banister, laughing at his sister's reaction.

"Joseph!" she shouted, launching herself at her eleven-year-old brother around the railing and grabbing him before he got back downstairs. She threw him into the room.

"Hey," he said calmly from his position on the floor, unperturbed that he been tossed there. "Just got home. You guys must be the English people Buttface here met in England, right?" he pointed to his sister as she took her seat again next to Remus.

Mirri shot him a glare, "Don't call me-"

"Don't insult yourself, kid," Sirius smirked, interrupting her, "there is too much of a family resemblance for you slight your sister without offending yourself."

Joseph laughed, unaffected. "Pretty cool there, Jason. It's Jason, right?"

Lily giggled and Joseph's gaze zeroed in on her. Mirri recognized the signs of a preteen infatuated and understood the consequences of that to be very bad attempts at flirting. Joseph had tried to win the hearts of all of Mirri's friends over the past year with his inept courting capabilities. Lily was about to be added to the list.

She exchanged glances with James. "Don't even think about it," they simultaneously said.

"Do what?" he asked too innocently.

"Don't you have homework or baseball practice or something else you should be doing?" she demanded through clenched teeth.

"It's Friday, Llama Lips," he smiled, "No baseball, no homework, no nothing. I am free to do anything I want." He put his arms behind his head and got comfortable.

Mirri was about to retort when Remus spoke up, "You've got a quick mind, Joseph, and a quicker mouth. It reminds me of someone," he said, giving Mirri a coy look, "but will you deny old friends a chance to catch up? I'm sure there's some compassion in there somewhere."

Joseph smiled a devilish grin and stood up. "Of course there is, John. Right? I am nothing but compassionate. Just do me one favor."

"Of course," Remus replied, ever the gentleman.

"When you and Mirri are making up for lost time, keep the volume down. Some of us would like to keep our minds blissfully clean and innocent. I don't want to hear any squeaking beds." He dashed downstairs to the surprised slack jaws of the adults.

"The little shiesskopf turd off a monkey's ass," she fumed at the closed door. "Sometimes I just want to magically fuse his mouth shut."

Everyone erupted with laughter.

"Your vocabulary has improved into sensible sentences," Sirius gasped.

"Sirius has taught you well," Peter said, finally catching his breath.

Lily shook her head. "Let's talk about something a little more productive. For example, where are we staying? We can get a hotel in the city if need be."

"You'll probably stay in the playhouse in the backyard. It has beds and plenty of room for you. You could stay in here, Lily."

Lily smiled, "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Mirri nodded in understand as James beamed next to Lily. "All right," Mirri started, "now it's time for serious conversation. Can any of you spell the room to prevent eavesdroppers? We need to talk."

Although the situation had turned serious, Sirius couldn't help but remark, "Isn't that what we're doing?"

Mirri shook her head in exasperation as Remus waved his wand. A large light blue net burst from the tip, encompassed the room, and disappeared. "This will make a person unable to hear anything going on in here."

"Helpful," Mirri praised, slightly in awe from lack of real magic. "I miss magic."

"How are you able to live without it?" Peter questioned.

"I don't," Mirri grinned, "It is still very much a part of my everyday life." She reached up behind her and pulled out the wand that had been tucked into her bra strap. Remus mirrored her grin; he had known it was there. "I use it to clean my room when no one is around or I'm too lazy to get up. My brother's things tend to go missing or he trips on air or things tend to break when he's around. I think he has a personal poltergeist. It's crazy." She sighed in mock innocence.

"Your parents don't know?" Lily asked.

Mirri shrugged, "Of course not. You forget that magic is only imaginative in this world. If I told them what really happened to me in England then I would be placed under house arrest for the duration of my life."

"Ah," was the only response.

"What about you guys?" Mirri continued, "I know you can do real magic, can I see more? And can you Apparate now?"

In answer, the five wizards disappeared with a pop and reappeared with another pop in different places. Peter sat on the bed, Lily and James in the chairs, Sirius in front of the desk, and Remus on Mirri's other side.

Remus laughed and closed her gaping mouth.

"Okay, frivolous stuff aside…" James prompted.

"How does Dumbledore know you're here?" Mirri jumped at the chance to ask the first question. "And how did you guys get here anyway?"

Remus opened his mouth to answer, but Peter cut him off. "After you left, Mirri, Remus went into a severe depression for a couple of months. Everyone knew the reason why, and we tried to intervene to get him to help. Some told him to just get over it and move on," he and Remus stared pointedly at Sirius, "and that didn't go over too well. That person was in the hospital wing for a week and a half."

"What?!" Mirri exclaimed, whirling on Remus who was watching the floor sheepishly.

"It's fine, Mirri," Sirius surprisingly defended, "I deserved it. I was joking, but I still deserved it."

"That's still no excuse, Sirius. What were you _thinking_, Remus?" she demanded.

"Do you want to hear the rest of the story or not, Mirri?" Peter asked. Mirri reluctantly backed down. "Anyway, that was at the end of fifth year and kind of a turning point for him. Remus suddenly woke up; he wasn't moping anymore but something a little scarier happened. He started a frenzied research project-"

"You're being a little dramatic, Peter," Lily interrupted. "His research wasn't scary. I think that after so long of seeing you depressed, Remus, we were shocked to see you up and productive."

"It was still a little scary," Peter argued. "We had no idea what he was doing, but we decided to keep a sharp eye on him. He worked constantly in his spare time. He only truly stopped during studying for the NEWT's, and even then he acted like that was irritating, not important. He never dated anyone, even after graduation. We were concerned about him. He bought a house in Godric's Hollow and continued research. By then, we had figured out what he was up to and decided that the best thing to do was follow him."

"It was none of your business what I was doing," Remus spat angrily, "You had no right-"

"We had every right, Remus," James said calmly, "As Peter said, we were concerned. If you had only asked, we would have been more than willing to help."

"Quit interrupting," Peter interjected, "We followed him yesterday to the small forest behind his house under the Invisibility Cloak and with a silencing charm to stay quiet. We watched as he used seven or eight spells to form this green ball-"

"Orb," Remus corrected.

Peter sighed, "Sure, okay. He held it in his hand and said one last spell that opened this gold swirly thing that looked exactly like the thing that brought you here, Mirri. He stepped through and then it started to close. We all agreed to follow and ran in after him. We emerged in the front of the gym of your school. Remus seemed to immediately know where he was, because he went straight in to the office. We watched and waited, picking other names."

"We remembered what you said about us not existing here," Lily said.

"After Remus headed away from the office, the four of us went in and the woman greeted us like she knew we were coming. Told us what an honor it was to have us join the school, even if it was toward the end of the year. She knew that we knew you, Mirri, and placed us in your first three classes. Then she told us it was D lunch, whatever that meant, the lunch you had apparently, and go check outside. Everything else you know," Peter finished.

The silence following was deafening as everyone looked to Remus, waiting for his reaction.

"What am I supposed to say?" he sighed finally, "The damage is done, I guess."

"Do you know how we're going to go home, mighty researcher?" James asked.

Remus shrugged, "I hadn't planned on it, but I found out anyway, just in case."

"But you have to go back!" Mirri replied, "The books won't happen in this world if you are not a part of them!"

"My place is here, love," he answered, placing a gentle hand on her cheek, his eyes boring straight into her by their intensity, "My heart is here; my soulmate is here."

Mirri gasped, wanting nothing more than to kiss and jump him, but the other people in the room made that very difficult.

"God, the sexual tension," Sirius groaned, "It's almost palpable."

Mirri and Remus ignored him but pulled their gazes away from one another.

"All right," Lily smiled, "Now that we have details settled, what about you, Mirri? What's happened since you left?"

Though she had been expecting the question, when it came Mirri wasn't entirely sure how to answer it. "Nothing, really," she finally answered. "I got back into my routine fairly easily, though I, too, was going a slight depression. My friends and family thought I had gone on a foreign exchange trip to Britain. They didn't know what happened and I refused to give them many details. I told my friends everything, though-"

"What?!" everyone exclaimed, horrified.

"In a story," she continued calmly, "I used your real names and told the truth. The thing is, that's all they thought it was-a story. They can't fathom the idea that I went to the world of the number one best-selling author. I know Dumbledore had something to do with everyone thinking that I was on a trip."

"Did you date anyone? Are you dating anyone?" Sirius asked.

Remus glared at him.

"No," she sighed, tightening her hold on Remus' hand, "my friends tried to get me to date; _I_ even tried to get me to date. But I couldn't, I didn't want to and I ended up just comparing them to you," she looked at Remus. "My friends tried to get me a date for prom but I ended going with a just a group of girls. It was better that way. They're still trying; they won't listen to me." She smiled, "They can leave me alone now."

Everyone smiled in return. A knock on the door at the base of the stairs brought everyone's attention back to reality. Remus dissolved the net right before Jean opened the door.

"Even after I shouted, you kids couldn't hear me. Dinner has been ready for the past twenty minutes, Mirri, where are your manners? I'm sure they're famished," Jean shook her head at her daughter's indignant face, "Just wash up and come on down."

Mirri grumbled at her mother's withdrawing back, but refrained from cursing. Then she turned back to her friends, "Guess it's dinnertime."



The six of them went downstairs where the Hogwarts teens met Mirri's father for the first time. David Libra gave a firm handshake to each of them, but when he came to Remus, his stern look intensified. Remus kept a congenial smile on his face with a little effort.

"Daddy, stop it," Mirri snapped.

David released Remus' hand and motioned for everyone to take a seat. Joseph made sure that he was sitting next to Lily, much to James' dismay.

"I never did find out your name," Joseph said to Lily, ignoring the glares he was receiving from her fiancé.

Lily placed a light hand on James' arm, "It's okay," she muttered before turning back to Joseph, "I'm Tina."

"_Tina_," he breathed, "such a beautiful name still does not do justice to your surpassing beauty. It-"

"Cut it out, Joe," David said, not looking up from the bowl of rice he was spooning onto his plate. "She is obviously taken."

Lily wiggled her left hand at Joseph sweetly and gently removed James' protective arm from the back of her chair before continuing to eat.

"So," Jean murmured, leaning toward Sirius while watching Mirri and Remus quietly converse at the other opposite end of the table. Remus was smiling as he whispered in her ear while Mirri giggled softly, blushing slightly. The two of them wouldn't take their eyes off each other. "How long has this been going on? I'm going to jump out on a limb here and say that those two are in lobe, and that's why she has been so depressed since she came back."

Sirius smiled at the two before responding in a low voice, "It started the very first day she arrived, actually. But they never said anything to each other until almost two months later at the Christmas Ball."

Jean sighed and smiled, "I found love at a young age, too, Jason. The very first day of my freshman year of high school at fifteen when I walked into English class and met David. I knew at that moment that we were one day going to get married. And here we are. I'm happy Mirri has found someone. I must say that I was getting a little concerned. She refused any help."

Sirius nodded and once again glanced at the couple. He could tell that they were struggling to restrain themselves from reacquainting right there at the table.

"All right, kids," Jean said a moment later, "I hope you enjoyed dinner. But now I think it's time I showed you where you will be staying."

Leading everyone outside to the backyard, Jean took them to a shed. "It only looks small on the outside," Mirri commented to the others.

Jean opened the door and motioned everyone inside. The room was about the size of a large dorm room, with three trundle beds (two on the back wall and one under a window), a beside table, a closet ("It's huge!" Lily exclaimed when she opened the door.), a bathroom, and a curtained off area for Lily to have privacy when she changed.

"I took the liberty of getting your luggage out of Mirri's car," Jean said, motioning to their neatly stacked bags in the corner. Mirri stared at Lily who shrugged with a guilty expression. "It isn't much, but I'm sure you will spending more time outside and at the house than anywhere else."

"Thanks, Mom," Mirri said.

"No problem, sweetheart," she replied, walking out and shutting the door softly behind her.

"How did he know we were coming to let Jean know?" Peter asked.

No one needed to ask who _he_ was.



They debated themselves in circles about how Dumbledore knew for three hours. In the end, they were nowhere nearer to the answers than when they started.

"We've got a while, you guys," Mirri said, yawning as she looked at the clock; "I think we should discuss this again after a good night's sleep."

Her yawn triggered a chain reaction. All of them yawned in succession in great jaw-cracking gulps. "And it seems the rest of you need sleep," she continued, "It's probably six or seven in the morning back in your time. So, good night, and I will see everyone in the morning." She hesitated at the door, looked to Remus with the intention of saying something, thought better of it, and quickly walked out the door. Remus stared after her like a puppy left behind by his master.

Lily smirked, picked up one of her bags, and went to the curtained area to change. As she was in there, the boys pulled out pajamas from their bags and changed as well, pulling out the trundles when they were finished.

"I get my own bed," she said when she emerged.

"But-" James started, "let me at least sleep on the fold out."

Lily smiled at James' pleading face and touched his cheek with her fingertips, "All right," she conceded, "but you _will_ stay on yours. If you-"

James laughed and silenced her with a kiss. "I love you," he sighed while Peter, Remus, and Sirius knew fully well that James would try his hardest to share her bed.

By the time everyone was situated and falling asleep, Remus was practically twitching in his bed, waiting for everyone to start snoring. When he was fairly certain they were gone, he pulled out his wand and disapparated with a pop.

Peter and Sirius opened their eyes simultaneously and sat up. "Should we go after him?" Peter asked, whispering so as not to wake the entwined James and Lily.

Sirius shook his head in the dark, "I think that with their standards they'll be okay. He does concern me, though."

Peter nodded, "I agree. But you don't think they'll try anything with her parents' room right underneath, do you?"

"How did you know that?"

"When I 'went to the bathroom' I explored the house in my Animagus form. They have two dogs, as well. They've been in her parents' room all day but they sleep in cages under Mirri's bed."

"I wondered why those were there. So, her room is right above the parents. That should be okay then. He'll probably pop back in the morning. It's his birthday after all; let him have a little fun."


	3. Chapter 2: Reacquainting

Chapter 2 Reacquainting

He appeared with a pop that was drowned out by the Italian music playing on her stereo. He stayed concealed in the shadowed corner of the room, giving himself a moment to calm his nerves. She was here and she wasn't asleep, though he shouldn't have been surprised. She was singing along softly at the window seat, lavender clad legs drawn up under her chin and bare arms wrapped around her knees. She hadn't noticed him yet, so he restrained himself by soaking up her appearance.

Noticing more details by the pool of moonlight spilling through her open window, her hair (glossy brown by day) looked silver as it curled to her waist. The white tank top contrasted to the dark tan of her skin and her eyes! They were closed and he silently screamed for her to open them. The sweep of her lashes came up and the chocolate brown was almost invisible in the light. Without removing her gaze from the world outside, she stretched out her hand and her wand flew into it. A flick, and the music shut off mid-chord. Another flick, and the light snoring coming from the cages under her bed disappeared.

"It's rude to stare, you know," she said, finally turning away from the window and giving him the full intensity of her gaze.

His heart picked up speed. As much as he wanted to rush forward and throw her into bed, his body didn't seem to be cooperating. One step, then another, and pretty soon the two of them were facing each other in the middle of the room. He was pretty sure a stupid smile was on his face as he did another slow once over with his eyes. He was pleased to note she was doing the same thing; a glint in her eye he had missed for years. The past twelve hours disappeared as they gazed at one another.

"Hi," she said simply, her hand coming up and gently resting on his cheek.

"Hello," he answered, his own hand coming up to grip her fingers. Dear God, she smelled amazing and her touch was electrifying. What little control he had left was almost out the open window. Turning his face into her palm, he kissed her soft skin for the first time.



He was making it _very_ hard for her to keep her thoughts clear as he kissed each individual joint of her fingers, slowly making his way up her arm. When he kissed the inside of her elbow, her heart slammed into her ribcage and her knees gave out. Who knew that the skin there was so sensitive? With a coy chuckle, he caught her around the waist and held her up, not ceasing to torment her as he reached her collarbone.

"Oh, God, Remus!" she breathed, her eyes rolling to back of her head, the sensations almost unbearable. Her fingers clenched around his shirt on his chest as he held her closer, obvious evidence of his pleasure pushing against her. "No. God, you're making this very difficult. We can't. I can't. My-my parents…"

His arm reached out for her wand, which happily jumped to attention. She groaned as he bit her earlobe. The blue eavesdropper net appeared, surrounded the room, and dissolved.

"Oh," she gasped, surprised.

"Your door is locked, too," he murmured into her ear.

She shivered uncontrollably as his too warm hands crept under the hem of her shirt. "Remus, wait," she struggled with rationality.

"Not for me." Lifting her swiftly up, he pushed paper off of her desk and set her there, their faces now on the same level. In the same sweep of the papers, his shirt was gone.

She groaned again at the riveting sight. She hungrily ran her hands over the planes of his chest and abdomen, taking a sick pleasure in his shivers. "You're not making this any easier for me," she complained, hands on his hips.

"Then don't resist," he replied huskily, grinding her hips into his and attacking her neck again.

"I can't do this now," she argued, "I would feel completely guilty having sex in my parents' house."

"That's what the net is for," he retaliated, working on her other ear, "lower your standards for one night. I have missed you so much, Mirri, I can't stand not being with you anymore."

"Believe me, I noticed," she smiled, referring to his excitement.

He grinned unabashedly, teeth flashing in the darkness.

"I don't want you to leave, Remus," she said, gently fingering the gold curls on his chest, "but if helps you…"

"I'm not leaving tonight," he stated firmly, "Don't deny me the pleasure of being able to hold you again."

"Only if you'll be able to keep yourself in check."

He placed his hand over hers where is rested on his heart. "I am on my best behavior."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I can't help it if you bring out the animal in me," he grinned, nuzzling her nose. "And I _will_ kiss you fully now."

She had enough time to emit one squeak before his mouth was on hers and he moved them both to the bed. His hot tongue slid into her mouth.

She had to pull away or she wouldn't be able to resist anymore. Their legs were entangled, her skin seared where it touched his, and her thoughts were quickly trickling out the window. With tremendous effort, she gathered the willpower to push against his chest. He growled at her. "Don't do this, Remus," she pleaded, gasping for air.

The effort on his part seemed greater as he flopped to the side. "You are much more stubborn than I remember," he panted.

She propped herself on her elbow, "You're not mad at me, are you? I think it's within my rights to protest. I'm sorry I said no, but I don't think our reunion needs to be totally hot and sweaty. And believe me, _no one_ wants this more than I do."

He chuckled, wrapping an arm gently around her waist. "I'm not mad. How could I be? You are absolutely right about this. I'm sorry that you had to put up with that from me, but how could I resist when you have become just so damn sexy?" he growled, biting her neck.

She giggled. "Not exactly the word I would use to describe myself. And when did you learn how to seduce like that? Holy Geez, I was struggling with all of my might not to give in."

"Pure instincts, let me assure you," he replied, "I've never done that before."

They stared at each other silently for a few moments, reveling in the fact that they were together again. She gently ran her fingers over the outline of his lips. His hand tightened on her waist. Rolling onto his back, he pulled her on his chest.

"Is it all right for me to say, even after all this time," he said softly, intensely, "that I still love you? You've moved on in life and grown more gorgeous than I could have ever imagined; is it all right for me to still love you? You are a beautiful woman, Mirri; am I still enough for you?"

Her insides melted happily. Taking his face in her hands, she kissed him soundly. "You are more than enough, Remus. How did I ever deserve someone like you? One who traveled through time just to come and find me? I love you more now than I ever did."

"My soulmate was gone," he replied.

"Or it was the animal magnetism," she grinned slyly.

"You were a really big magnet."

She tucked her head under his chin; he stroked her hair. "I could get used to this," she sighed sleepily.

"I'm not leaving," he softly answered, placing a kiss on her forehead. "That will never happen again."

"I'm not complaining. Your Apparating skills are going to come in very handy."

He chuckled tiredly.

"I think it would be in our best interest to go to sleep," she said after he yawned. "We can continue this conversation in the morning."

"Mmmhmm," he agreed, snuggling closer.

"Happy Birthday, Remus," she whispered.

He didn't respond; or if he did, she didn't hear it. She had fallen asleep.



They awoke gradually. Mirri kept her eyes firmly shut, praying fervently that events from the day (and especially the night) before were not, if fact, a dream. But the warmth at her side and the arm around her waist confirmed the hope. She opened her eyes and gazed into Remus' face. _Oh yes_, she thought, tenderly observing his sleeping face, _this is better than my dreams have ever imagined_.

"_Je t'aime_," she whispered.

Remus sighed deeply, a small smile forming. He pulled her closer. "Say it again," he murmured groggily, eyes still closed.

She leaned forward slightly, "_Je t'aime_, Remus," she repeated, grazing his ear with her nose.

His grip tightened, "Dammit, I _am_ dreaming."

Mirri giggled, "Why do you think that?"

"Because only in my dreams do I get to hold you and in every one of them you speak little French phrases in my ear." He opened one gold eye, glancing at her tank, "You were wearing less clothing, though."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I was. I'm not really sure I want to know about the rest of it."

An eyebrow rose. "Really? They headed in the same direction our 'reestablishment of acquaintance' was going. Does it bother you that much?"

"Not really," she shrugged.

"What tops off the dream is that it's my birthday," he smiled, "This is amazing."

"_Bon anniversare_," she said, "Twenty years old."

"And still a virgin," he replied, "Want to fix that? It could be my present from you." He nipped her neck lightly.

"I don't think now would be a good idea," she squeaked.

He let his head fall back to the pillow. "Well," he sighed good-naturedly, "at least I get to hold you again. On my birthday right after you left, everyone asked me what I wanted and I just wanted to forget about it. Because what I wanted couldn't be obtained."

She traced the outline of his lips gently, "I'm sorry, Remus."

"That's what started my research project," he continued, kissing her fingers, "because no one could give me what I wanted, I thought, 'Why couldn't I get it for myself?'"

"Determined, aren't we?" she teased.

Remus shrugged again, but grinned nevertheless.

Before Mirri could open her mouth to say anything else, the alarm spell she put into effect the night before went off, clanging in warning that someone was coming. "_Maledizione!_" she hissed, "You have to leave! Apparate back to the guest house!"

Remus kissed her blindly for a second, "I love you," he breathed before disappearing.

Mirri snapped her fingers and the alarm shut off. Quickly settling back down into the covers, she tried to slow down her breathing enough before whoever was intruding came in.

Joseph came bounding up the stairs.

"Wake up, lazy butt," he exclaimed, jumping onto her bed.

"I'm already awake, brat," she replied fondly, "Get out of my room so that I can get dressed."

"Mommy said she wants you down and dressed to go and wake up your friends in five minutes."

He didn't move as Mirri got up and walked to her closet. She paused at the door. "Was there something else? I don't think you want to stay in here while I change."

The jab didn't affect him. His face maintained the contemplative look. Mirri waited for him to talk. "What's Tina like?"

Mirri stared at him for a moment, trying to wrap her head around that name. Who was that? Then it clicked, "You _actually_ have an honest-to-God crush on someone?"

"I do not," he denied half-heartedly.

"You do," she insisted, "but it won't do you any good, buddy. She's engaged."

"I know," he replied, crestfallen, just as Jean's voice reached the top of the stairs.

"Mirri Seleena!"

Mirri cursed under breath, Joseph snickered. "I'll tell her that you'll be down in a minute," he supplied, heading down the stairs.



When Mirri knocked on the guest door and was permitted entrance, she entered to find what appeared to be an interrogation occurring. Two chairs sat in the middle of the room, Remus lounging in one, his arms clasped about a knee. The others sat on the beds around him. Remus gave her an evil grin and gestured for her to take the seat next to him.

"Is this a grilling?" she asked, laughing, taking the seat. Remus immediately took her hand, playing with her fingers.

"If you mean, is this an interrogation, then yes, this is a grilling," Sirius answered while Peter discouraged any eavesdroppers. Mirri noted mildly that this was the third time in the last day that they used this charm.

"What happened last night?" James asked.

"I got laid," Mirri shrugged, matter-of-factly. Lily's head snapped up in shock, she had been trying to stay out of it.

Remus shot her a glare, "Don't encourage them," he whispered.

"That's what we were afraid was going to happen," Sirius sighed. Lily was starting to giggle; Mirri's eyes told the truth. James, Sirius, and Peter were unsure whether to kill or congradulate the troublesome couple.

"You guys are such idiots," Mirri murmured. "Nothing really happened."

"Forgive us for not believing you," Peter stated. "The looks Remus was giving you yesterday made us completely believe that was going to occur. Seemed to us as well that you would have no problem with it."

"I have better standards than that, Peter," she snapped. Remus' grip on her hand became restraining. "As much as _I_ wanted to, I knew that it would be in our best interest to wait."

Remus chuckled next to her. "They have a point though, love."

Mirri's head whirled to him, "Now _you_ don't encourage them."

"They knew already what my intentions were," he responded logically. "I'm sorry that you are taking offense to them. They don't mean any harm, I assure you."

"They're just looking out for your safety," Lily said gently. "Pay them no mind. Let's change the subject."

"I still don't quite believe them," Sirius interjected.

Remus and Mirri gave him twin looks of irritation. "Enough with that, Sirius. We slept together. Quite literally. Would you rather do the _Veritas_ spell? I know it. That should convince you."

While the dog looked willingly to perform the illegal spell, Lily wouldn't hear of it. "I trust them, even if you don't, Sirius."

Sirius sighed and sat back.

"Thank you," Mirri said, getting up, "Now that we've gotten through this highly awkward conversation, we're all going inside for breakfast and then heading out for an overnight trip."

Five heads shot up. "What?"

"But we just got here," Peter whined. "Do we have to leave?"

"It'll be fun, I promise," Mirri smiled, "We're heading to Great Blue Hill about ten miles south from here to stay in a friend's cabin. My mom thought it would be a good idea to give us some alone time for us to catch up without interruption."

"_Muggle_ camping?" Peter moaned.

Mirri grinned, "Yes. And it's secluded, so we can use magic without fear of discovery."

"Let's go get breakfast, then," James hopped up and was out the door.

Remus held Mirri back as everyone went to the house. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for, Remus," Mirri smiled, taking his hand.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, "Fine. I want you to know that I loved waking up this morning."

She put her arms around his neck, "I did, too. That could be a recurring thing, if you want."

"Oh, I want," he grinned, closing the gap between them. Fire smoldered under her skin.

Two hours later, the six wizards sat at a river's edge near the cabin on Great Blue Hill.

"It was kind of a last minute decision, I think," Mirri was saying. "She apparently has a whole schedule planned for the next couple of weeks before graduation."

Sirius was having blobs of water play Quidditch through some exposed tree roots. "This was nice of her and your dad," he said, "but I hate to burst everyone's bubble…ya know, I do kinda want to go home eventually."

There was silence for a few minutes. "I'm sure you do, Sirius," Mirri said softly, finally, "I missed you guys terribly, but you have to go back to your time or something might happen."  
"Like what?" Peter asked.

"Well," she said, "You know how you are perceived in this world and if you stay too long, and don't go back to finish your life…the books documenting them will probably begin to disappear."

That was food for thought. "So, how _do_ we get back, Moony?" James questioned Remus gently, "Preferably in a way that will convince Mirri to come back with us. For good."

Sirius, Lily, and Peter nodded their agreement. Remus smiled and Mirri's jaw dropped.

"That certainly is the question, isn't it?" a voice said behind them.

The six wizards jumped up, wands in hand immediately. None expected who stood at the edge of the path.


	4. Chapter 3: Choices

Chapter 3 Choices

"Dumbledore?" came the simultaneous question. Silence resounded then throughout the forest.

Mirri was the first to react. She rushed forward and surprised everyone by throwing her arms around him. "It's been a long time, professor."

Dumbledore chuckled gently and patted her hair affectionately. "Indeed it has, Mirri," he replied, smiling down at her. "You certainly have grown. And about to graduate, I gather."

Mirri stepped back and smiled happily. "I am. And I shouldn't be surprised that you know this already."

Dumbledore's blue eyes sparkled over his familiar half-moon glasses. "Have you decided on a college?"

Her eyes were pulled to the ground where they fixedly studied the toes of her shoes. "Well…I've been accepted to every university I've applied to…"

The old professor tsked her softly, "Still undecided," he turned to the others, "then I have definitely come at the right time."

"And what time is that, professor?" Lily asked, coming forward with the rest to stand in a light circle.

"Mirri is stilled very much tied to you all of you and the wizardry world," he replied, "So much so, in fact, that she is unable to fully live her life here."

"Must you talk about me like I'm not here, sir?" Mirri couldn't help but state irritably.

"My apologies, Mirri," Dumbledore amended, "but it's the truth. The only thing that is keeping you here, I assume, is your family and a couple of friends."

"I can't leave them," she sighed.

Dumbledore placed a gnarled hand on her shoulder, "You hear the words that come out of your mouth, but do you really believe them?"

Her eyes snapped to his face in shock. Did she believe her words? She looked to Remus and found his gaze on her. Could she give up her family again to return to the past?

"Is there no way?" she finally asked.

"My dear," Dumbledore smiled, "there is always a way. You just have to think a little bit on it."

"We want her to come back with us, professor," Sirius stated, "it would be in everyone's best interest for that to happen. We can figure out some way for her to stay in contact with her family and friends and have her come home again."

Remus stepped up to Mirri and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Or I could stay."

Surprisingly, Mirri was the one who shook her head. "That's not possible."

"Why not?" Remus demanded. "My place is with you."

"But the consequences of all of you being here are beginning to have an effect in this world, Remus," Mirri explained, "Remember what I said? If you lot stay here for an extended amount of time, then the books and the phenomenon of the series that documents your lives will disappear."

Remus cursed under his breath.

Dumbledore chuckled. "I see that you have had this conversation. Good. Then I want you to know that I am trying my best to prolong the inevitable. My spells will last long enough after graduation for you to tie up loose ends, Mirri. Not much longer after, mind you."

Mirri grinned wryly, "Seems very Cinderella-ish to me, sir."

"Indeed it does," Dumbledore returned the smirk, "but that is all I can allow before the future here is altered beyond my repair."

"You mean we have to go through the horrors of graduating _again_?" Peter whined.

"If you want Mirri to come home then I suggest you get used to the idea, Peter," Dumbledore chided, "and allow her to feel some sense of closure when she does."

"So that's it?" James finally spoke, "We just need to let Mirri say her good-byes and we can go home?"

"In a nutshell, yes," Mirri replied, "but that's going to be little harder than it sounds. You forget that my family has no idea that magic actually exists. Convincing _them_ to let me leave is going to be a challenge."

"You'll find, my dear," Dumbledore kindly interjected, his eyes dancing, "that some people understand much better than you think. And I'm sure your magical friends will help you. As will I."

Mirri turned to him in surprise, "But how can I tell them? I can't say that I spent nearly half a year of my life in a _Harry Potter_ book."

"Trust in the ones you love," he replied. "You have a couple more weeks to work it out. In the meantime, I must leave. I will come and check on you closer to graduation, shall I?"

He waved a hand farewell and began to walk away. Mirri rushed after him. "Professor Dumbledore, am I making a mistake?" she insisted, "Is this really the right choice, sir?"

One silver eyebrow rose, "Why do you ask questions that you already know the answer to, Mirri?"

Her smile was blinding, "I guess I just needed to hear some kind of confirmation. Thank you, professor."

"You are always welcome, my dear," he said before he disappeared with a crack.

Lily, James, Peter, and Sirius walked to the cabin, Sirius muttering something about dinner or a game of pool.

Remus came up to Mirri who still stood where Dumbledore disappeared and gripped her shoulders. "Are you alright?" he asked gently, resting his cheek against her ear.

She reached up and placed a hand on his free cheek. "I'm not sure yet."

"Is this really what you want?" he questioned then, "Don't let the others pressure you into anything. You don't have to leave."

She turned to face him, "But you do, Remus. And I can't be away from you again. I've just gotten you back! How can you expect me to handle leaving you when in just the past twenty four hours I've become so completely accustomed to having you with me?" She was becoming too emotional.

"Calm down, love," he whispered, pulling her to his chest. "I knew this was going to be an issue. How much difference would it really make for me to stay here?"

"Bucket loads," she groaned. "And I can't give you more details than that. You have to understand."

He sighed. "All right, then, so I can't stay here. But you…"

"I will be coming home with you," she stated firmly.

Shock covered his face quickly becoming exultation finally reigned in by wariness and concern, "I don't want you to doing anything that you don't want."

Mirri couldn't help but giggle, "This has to be the _one_ thing that I don't have to second guess."

Remus' mask of careful concern dropped to reveal the unbelievable happiness he felt. Grabbing her around the waist, he lifted her off the ground. Her legs instinctually wrapped around his waist. "You-" he started, cutting off. He tried again, "I can't…you have to know…God, I…" his golden eyes pleaded for her to understand while his words failed.

She giggled again, putting a finger to his lips. "I know," she said simply, her own chocolate eyes deepening as she gazed at him.



The rest of the weekend passed in a blur as Mirri and her friends relaxed, got completely caught up, and started planning for Mirri's return home with them. Monday morning as they arrived at school, the news of the newcomers seemed to have spread like wildfire, and by the end of the day, Mirri had become the most popular girl in school. By the end of the week, she was hated by every one of those girls for having the most attractive men as best friends. Though Sirius and Peter were single, as everyone knew, they refrained from seeking anyone. Lily and James were still sought after, while of course, it was common knowledge that they were engaged. And Mirri and Remus…well, they had become the most talked about Cinderella story.

"It's completely ridiculous," Mirri spat at lunch that Friday afternoon. Juliette had just told them another tall tale about the foreigners, "I'm not some ambassador's daughter. And they are _definitely_ not English royalty."

Remus chuckled from his position behind her. Mirri sat between his legs, fuming at the stupid notions of the girls at the school.

"Well, _we_ don't know their stories, Mirri, unlike you," Luna stated gently.

"There's nothing for me to tell," Mirri sighed. "It's not that fantastic." Had she not been leaning against his chest, she wouldn't have felt the quiet laughter that reverberated there. "Or out of the ordinary."

Sirius barked a laugh, quickly turning it into a cough. Isabella eyed him skeptically. "If you say so," she said warily, "but just so you know, _we _know there is something going on here. Your actions and attitudes assist that idea."

"Exactly," Holly agreed, "Jason, Richard, and Michael all act sometimes like they haven't see technology before."

"They're luddites," Mirri couldn't help but giggle out.

Her Muggle friends made _ah_'s of understanding while the three men in question gave her confused looks. One explanation down, two thousand to go.

"And exactly how old are all of you?" Essey asked.

"Eighteen," was the automatic simultaneous response.

"Why are you here so close to the end of your senior year?" Juliette questioned.

"Well…" Sirius started, flashing her a wicked smile, the girls' hearts sputtered, "We all graduated in December and didn't think about what was going on in this half of the world. We had already finalized everything before we realized that you weren't done with school yet. We thought that we might as well see what the fuss was about with American schools. A couple more weeks wouldn't kill us."

The Boston girls smiled, swallowing all of his lies. Mirri grinned as the bell rang for final period. "Okay, you guys know the drill. See you after class."

They separated. Remus kept a firm grip on her hand as always then yawned. "Little tired there, _John_?" James asked wryly.

"I didn't get much sleep last night," Remus replied, squeezing Mirri's hand.

Mirri choked on her laugh. They had been up most of the past week at night talking, getting reacquainted. Little sleep had occurred, but neither was complaining. Juliette gave her big eyes. "Are you doing naughty things, Mirri Seleena?" she whined, then she turned on to Remus, "You better not be doing anything compromising to our friend, Mr. Karem."

"No worries, Juliette," he smiled blindingly, the girl looked dazed for a moment, "Miss Libra is being taken care of."

"I don't think anyone has ever been spoiled as much as I have," Mirri stage whispered to Holly. She then stated normally, "It's starting to give me a complex."

Remus grinned evilly.

Holly smiled, "If it makes you this happy, then I say let him do it. You've been too depressed for too long. Though you did a decent enough job trying to hide it."

The second bell cut off Mirri's shocked reply. Remus quickly kissed the frown at her eyebrows before taking his seat.

The frown stayed in place even after school and the six of them headed home. "Are you okay, Mirri?" Lily finally asked.

She didn't answer.

Everyone exchanged worried glances as Mirri pulled into the driveway to her home and got out of the car without a word. They followed her into the house.

"Hey, kids!" Jean beamed, "Welcome-"

"Why didn't you ever take me to get help?" Mirri demanded without preamble.

Jean turned her shocked face to the others as they took seats in the living room before she turned back to her daughter. "I'm not sure I understand, Mirri."

Mirri held her ground in the middle of the floor, arms crossed over her chest. "If I was so concerning to you and my friends for my lack emotion over the past two years, why didn't you take me to get help?"

"This is what's confusing me, Mirri," Jean said gently, "we took you after a month of your depression to get psychological therapy. You wouldn't respond to any questions and refused to take any medication. _You_ said that you were fine."

"I don't remember that."

"I don't think you ever thought that there was something wrong," her mother clarified, "You participated only as far as you needed to. You didn't overreach in any way. No extra effort. You just _were_. But you thought you were fine."

Mirri glared at her mother, "But I _hurt_ all of you. You let me go on without ever letting me know that you thought there was something wrong. I've made all of you concerned, and I didn't want that."

"But, darling," Jean smiled, "we _knew_ what was wrong. And you needed to work through it on your own after a while. Your friends and I had a talk about it and we figured something had happened in England, something life altering that you couldn't or wouldn't share with us." She smiled at the wizards, "Whether you meant it to or not, you kids changed my daughter. I'm beginning to see that it was in a good way."

"I'm so sorry, Mommy," Mirri whispered, "I had no idea that I was affecting you."

Jean gave her a hug, "It's nothing for you to worry about anymore, sweetheart. Our old Mirri is back, and I'm happy to see it. I don't want this to change."



Classes ended the next week for the seniors and the full moon approached. Mirri went to her parents two days before the silver orb rose and requested the cabin on Great Blue Hill for a final time.

"You know that the mountains look the best at the full moon," she pleaded when they asked her why.

Jean and David exchanged skeptical glances. "This isn't some kind of scheme to get you and Remus alone, is it?" Jean demanded.

"And the others actually have plans elsewhere," David finished.

_No, it's just that my boyfriend will be turning into a frightful and dangerous mythical beast and I want to keep him away from human civilization_, she thought. "Now why the hell would I include them on a scheme like that?" she questioned logically, "I would have come up with a _much_ better plan to get John and I alone if I wanted. Give me some credit."

David smirked, "All right. You're lucky classes are done, Mirri Seleena, or this wouldn't be happening. And I want a final decision on your college the day before graduation, do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," she replied without missing a beat. She ran outside where everyone was lounging on the deck. Joseph was playing football with the neighbors in the field by the house.

"We're all set?" Sirius asked when she sat down in a lounge chair.

She nodded. "We'll head up in the morning to give us time to get the lay of the land."

"_Tina_," Remus said and grinned, "You and _Rick_ will come back into town for the night, staying well away from us at the cabin."

"Ix-nay on the anning-play," Mirri hissed, "Parentals aren't so old as to not hear you, love. You talk rather loud."

Remus gave her a play glare.

"You're just concerned that you're out of practice, Mirri," James whispered.

She huffed, "I am _not_ out of practice, _Richard_. I still remember distinctly the feel and the mindset needed to do it. It's no different than Apparating, I'm sure."

"Don't tell me you guys are debating _Harry Potter_ spells again?" David asked suddenly behind them.

Had he not caught them talking about spells before, and Mirri quickly explaining to her father that they were _Harry Potter_ fans as well, the six of them would have been in a lot of trouble.

"Yes, sir," Sirius replied smoothly, sitting back in his chair, "Which to you think would be easier to do, learning to Apparate or learning to become an Animagus?"

"I've never read the books, Jason; how would I know?" David smirked, "It's all Greek to me." He left them there as he went to check on Joseph and his friends.

"I love messing with them," Sirius laughed, "I can talk about real magic and they think I'm just a book fanatic."

Lily rolled her eyes and turned back to Mirri and Remus, "So what's the plan for tonight?"

Remus took Mirri's hand and answered, "I'm taking her out tonight. You guys can do whatever you want. There's a drive-in movie theater a couple of miles from here that I'm sure the guys would like."

"A movie? Really?" Peter jumped in excitement, "Those things are amazing! We have to go!"

The others laughed. Lily nodded, "All right, that sounds good to me. But you two need to behave yourself. And get home at a decent time. I don't want Jean and David not trusting you this close to you coming home with us."

The two nodded solemnly and got up to get ready. This was apparently a fancy outing.

¯

The reservations were made and now he just needed to wait for her to finish getting ready. Lily was up there, he could hear the two of them giggling. He stood by the car, his tie starting to become just a little too tight, and twirled his fake license with his fingers. He refused to let her drive tonight. Checking his watch for the fourth time in as many minutes, he heard the sound of the door opening and closing before he looked up. And stopped dead.

His mind flashed back to the Yule Ball in their fifth year all those years ago and how he thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. That image had been in his head for so long and now…this was going to be in its place. She had curled her hair, the romantic waves flowing to her waist. And the dress was so…_sexy_!

The black four inch heels elongated her already long legs. His eyes followed them up to the red cinched, satin dress that stopped mid thigh. The curve of her hip and chest were definitely pronounced in this figure-fitting outfit. The inch thick straps allowed her shoulders and arms to breathe freely.

He swallowed convulsively as she didn't just walk, but sauntered over to him. She was eying his black suit and royal blue button down appreciatively. "I haven't seen you this cleaned up since the Yule Ball," she smiled coyly.

Remus was at a loss for words.

"John, a word please," David called from the deck.

Mirri gave Remus a smile as he looked skeptically at her, face paling. "He just wants a word, Remus," she murmured, pushing him toward the house.

David placed a hand on Remus' shoulder when the latter stepped up to him. Using the few inch height difference to his advantage, David loomed. "That little girl you are taking out tonight is my only daughter, John," he said slowly, "Regardless of how old she is. Turn and look at her."

Remus gave him a nervous glance before complying. He swallowed hard again when his eyes met her gorgeous frame.

"Yes, she is beautiful," David agreed with his thoughts. Turning Remus back to him he said, "If she comes home different in any way, I will personally see to it that you never get to see her again." Standing up straighter, he clapped Remus on the back, "But I like you, John. I'm sure you'll see to it that I continue to think so," he smile didn't reach his eyes as he walked back inside.

Remus blanched. Not trusting his voice, he smiled weakly at Jean and headed back to the car. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he opened the passenger door to allow Mirri to get in. Jogging to the other side, he got into the driver's seat and they were off.

In the darkness of the car, Remus was able to shake off David's warning slightly. It helped the farther away from the house they went.

"You look amazing," Mirri said, placing a hand on his leg. It took all he had to keep going straight. "And don't let my father scare you. He's just being a dad."

"I'm still going to have to be very careful," Remus dryly remarked, "I think he's going to kill me when he finds out you're coming home with me in the end."

"I won't let him," she stubbornly replied, turning her head to the window.

He smiled ecstatically, and watched from the corner of his eye. _God, she looks remarkable,_ he thought, _and she is _mine_. How could I be so lucky?_

"Where are we going?" she finally asked. He could tell the lack of knowledge was eating her alive.

He shook his head. "I can't tell you that, love."

"A hint?"

"We'll be there in a minute," he laughed, "I'm sure you can wait."

He parked them a block away, got out and opened her door before she had even unbuckled. As soon as the door was shut behind her, Remus pushed her up against the car.

"What-" she started.

"I want a chance to see how beautiful my girlfriend is without others breathing down my neck, evaluating my every move," he said, eyes roaming. His hands went to her hips and slowly traveled up her sides to her arms. Her eyes closed at the sensation. Cupping her neck gently, his nose grazed along her jaw, inhaling the intensely intoxicating scent of her perfume. He could feel her heartbeat speeding up, echoing his. "You are gorgeous," he breathed over her lips. "I need to take you out more often so that I can see you like this."

"You can always just ask," she whispered, opening her eyes and gazing at him intently.

"Will you bring this dress back with you?"

Her giggle was breathless. "If you'd like."

"I almost don't want to take you in," he rested his forehead against hers, "I don't want to share you. _God_, you are so _sexy_!"

His body was by this point completely flush against hers. She groaned and pushed him away. "You are driving me _crazy_, Remus. You had better take me inside before we need to go home so that you can take a cold shower."

He growled playfully in her ear and dropped a kiss to her bare shoulder before pulling her down the street. Mirri stopped as soon as they rounded the corner toward the restaurant.

"Holy _shit_, Remus!" she squealed, staring at the building in front of them, "You're taking me to the L'Espalier? This has to be the best restaurant in the city."

His smile was dazzling. "I only wanted the best."

She slowly continued to walk forward. He opened the door and gave his pseudonym to the hostess, who immediately led them back to a quiet corner of the glamorous old warehouse. Mirri couldn't keep her eyes on one spot. The server came and went with their orders and still Mirri couldn't keep her eyes still. Remus chuckled gently bringing her eyes back to him.

"This time suits you, Mirri," he stated with a sigh, "I can't see you really wanting to leave this."

Reaching forward, Mirri took one of his hands in hers. She looked him in the eye but didn't say anything. Instead, one elegant eyebrow rose.

"What?" he finally asked, dazed for a moment by the flirtatious look on her face. God, how distracting!

"I would hope that you would know by now my sentiments on the matter of my returning home," she replied, "'Home' being _your_ time. With magic. I'm so sick of hiding what I am here. And I love you. I need you more."

"Ah, the glories of first love," he smiled, "you never truly get over your first. I know that I didn't, though I tried. I was a glutton for punishment for a while."

"This is more than just not being able to forget about first loves, honey, and you know it," she chided, "this is soul mate material here."

He shrugged, "I won't argue with that. But will your parents?"

"My parents will agree with whatever I deem true with regards to my choices," she replied confidently, "they already know that I'm completely in love with you and that hasn't changed since I met you."

He didn't speak for a few moments, letting that wonderful statement sink in. The food arrived during his silence and the quiet continued for another few minutes while they started to eat. A band in the corner started tuning, getting ready for dancing. Mirri's eyes lit up as she saw them.

"Dancing?" she finally asked.

He shrugged, "I thought you might want to."

"You won't know how dancing in the twenty-first century really is for teenagers until you go clubbing, I hate to say," she smiled. "This is tame in comparison."

"That's next on the venue," he grinned, taking the final bite of his meal. Mirri's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Your Muggle friends thought that might be a good idea."

She threw back her head and laughed, "I absolutely _love_ them!" she gasped.

When she caught her breath, she found Remus standing before her, hand outstretched. "How about we dance a couple of songs here before we head out to the club?"

Her smile sweetened as she took his hand and was led out to the dance floor. He nodded to the band which started the opening bars to Michael Bublé's "Everything." Mirri gasped in shock. "You got them to play my favorite song?"

"Only the best," he reminded her.

_You're a falling star, You're the get away car._

_You're the line in the sand when I go too far._

_You're the swimming pool, on an August day._

_And you're the perfect thing to say._

Mirri sang along happily; Remus twirled her and surprised her by singing the next line:

_And you play it coy, but it's kinda cute._

_Ah, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do._

_Baby, don't pretend, that you don't know it's true._

'_Cause you can see it when I look at you._

She smiled brightly and continued to sing with him as they danced. His dancing skills had improved over the years. Though he had never practiced.

_And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times_

_It's you, it's you. You make me sing._

_You're every line, you're every word, you're everything._

They twirled and moved without stopping, his expert leading gliding them with no problem.

_You're a carousel; you're a wishing well,_

_And you light me up, when you ring my bell._

_You're a mystery, you're from outer space,_

_You're every minute of my everyday._

As they came together, Mirri kissed him happily, causing a few people at the tables to cheer.

_And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,_

_And I get to kiss you baby just because I can._

_Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,_

_And you know that's what our love can do._

He smiled at her and silently thanked her family and friends for helping him with this. Perfection didn't even describe it.

_And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times_

_It's you, it's you, You make me sing_

_You're every line, you're every word, you're everything._

Her arms tightened around his neck as she hugged him. Remus returned the favor with enough enthusiasm to lift her from the ground. "God, that was great," she sighed.

"Do you want to dance again or head out to the club?" he asked as they made their way back to the table.

"As much as I like dancing here, I want to show you the American future dancing," her grin could only be defined as impish.

"Should I be nervous?" he questioned as he handed the server money for the check.

"Maybe," she replied. "It depends on how well I can dance. I've only danced that way with a couple of guys. We'll have to see."

Remus couldn't wait to get out of the restaurant. And Mirri seemed to share that sentiment because she grabbed his hand as soon as he tipped their server and pulled him outside. He dropped off his coat and tie in the car.

She giggled excitedly, "Going clubbing is something I've been looking forward to for a while. It's fantastic that I get to go with you."

"You haven't been?" he asked, shocked.

She shook her head as they walked down the street toward downtown. "I've only been to school dances. So this is just as new for me as it is for you. But I do know more about it."

"What should I be expecting?"

Surprisingly, her face flushed, "Um, well…as I said, this dancing is a little different than what you're used to. It would probably be better for you to see for yourself."

He knew _exactly_ what she was talking about. He had done his research; but it was so cute seeing her so flustered. As they rounded the last corner, they heard it rather than saw it first. The base resounding from the club reverberated deep in each of their chests and Mirri couldn't help but grin. But then she saw the line.

She groaned. Remus put a finger to her lips, "I have already taken care of it, love."

He pulled her to the door and flashed his identification. The bouncers nodded and allowed them through.

"What did you bribe them with to get us in here?" she shouted over the music.

"The world's universal language," he smirked, "Money."

She laughed as he pulled her toward the dance floor. His eyes quickly observed the other dancers and he knew this was all about instinct. It was seriously like sex on the dance floor! Some of it was extremely vulgar.

"It doesn't have to be that bad," she said in his ear, seeing him watch a particularly "enthusiastic" couple. "It's all about what you want."

"Then show me," he smiled. She mirrored his smile and placed his hands on her hips. Bringing their bodies flush against one another, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It's nothing too complicated," she said, swaying them back and forth, "You just have to feel the beat."

"Sounds simple enough," he replied, allowing her to lead. With this music, the woman had to lead. She was the one with all the dance moves. The guy seemed only to be something to hold on to.

She turned in his embrace and put her back to him at the start of a new song. Or, at least, he _thought_ it was a new song. They tended to run together with regard to words, but the change in tempo and bass made the alteration a little more recognizable. Mirri seemed to know and like the song at any rate. As soon as the verse got underway, Mirri grabbed his hands from her hips and leaned her head back against his shoulder, "I think you're gonna like this."

He didn't have time to ask her what she meant; when the chorus hit she dropped to the floor and slowly crawled back up in time with the music. Remus closed his eyes at the sensation. Yeah, wow. He swallowed hard; no wonder men liked coming here. And he couldn't believe that she knew how to do this; that she did this kind of dancing with a couple of guys gave him a stab of jealousy. She was too hot for her own good when she did this.

The tempo changed again to another song and Mirri turned to face him, not breaking with the beat as she did. "Was that okay?" she shouted, "I wasn't too uncoordinated, was I?"

He raised an eyebrow and pulled her against him. "Do I feel like you did something wrong?" he shouted in return.

She blushed and smiled.

"The only thing you did wrong was dancing like this with someone else," he continued. "I don't like _that_ at all."

She waved her hand dismissively, "It was only practice."

"Still," was all he could say as the beat picked up and Mirri let loose again. A couple more hours of this and he wouldn't be able to walk out of her, let alone drive them home. He gave a mental shrug and proceeded to dip with her.

¯

The sexual tension that night when the two of them got home was so thick, both thought that it would be in their best interest to sleep apart. It wasn't exactly what they wanted, but the right choice nonetheless. Everyone was asleep when they pulled into the driveway a little after three in the morning. Remus, a gentleman through and through, walked Mirri to the door.

"I must say, Miss Libra," he smirked putting his arms around her waist as they stood at the door, "_You_ excite me more with each passing day and I would love to take you out more often if it means that we could do that again."

"And I must say, Mr. Lupin," she replied, "that you provide excellent means for me to explore more ways of sexual torture. I nearly pushed you over the edge. That was fun."

He kissed her nose, "Anytime, love." His eyes got softer. "I really did enjoy myself, but I will let it end here tonight and let you have your bed back."

"If I didn't think it was in our best interest, I would say you should stay anyway," she answered, then eyed him, "Unless you can behave yourself."

He grinned, "I've behaved myself under difficult situations before…"

She didn't even hesitate, "Give me twenty minutes to shower."

He laughed, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she sighed happily as she went inside.


	5. Chapter 4: Going Home

Chapter 4 Going Home

Remus was still asleep when Mirri got up the next morning. Getting out of bed carefully, she headed into her bathroom to brush her teeth and fix her hair. When she caught sight of herself, she groaned. A haystack. Perfect.

She didn't want to have to wet it and wash it again. Fingering the ends curling around her waist, she picked up her wand. _What would happen if I cut it?_ she thought, _more volume would be a plus._ She couldn't help the evil grin that formed on her face at the thought of Remus' reaction. Forget her parents. Holding her wand with more determination, she grabbed a chunk and set to work.

Not three minutes later she shook out the curls. _It's so light!_ It now rested comfortably at her breast line, the layers defining a sexiness that she had never been able to maintain with the former long hair. She threw away the dead bits and kissed her wand. God, she loved magic.

Popping back into her room, she gently sat down on the bed again and fingered Remus' hair out of his eyes; he could do with a haircut himself. His head shifted with her hand in his sleep. She smiled and kissed his forehead.

"Hey, babe, it's time to get up. We have to get ready to leave for the cabin."

One eye blearily opened and tried to focus. He yawned and rolled on to his back, draping an arm about her waist.

"Last night was completely amazing by the way, Remus."

His smile, though tired, was wicked. "Mmmhmm," he yawned and cleared his throat, "I'm taking you dancing when we get home. You're not gettin' out of it." His eyes alighted on her hair and widened. He sat up quickly, taking the ends in hands. "What-"

Mirri shrugged in answer.

He relaxed and sat back, eying the whole look. The mischievous glint came back. "And here I thought you couldn't get any sexier. You have just redefined beautiful."

Her face turned red. "Not _exactly_ the reaction I was expecting. You compliment me too much, Remus."

"I don't think that would be possible, Mirri," he argued, "I was taught to express my feelings. I'm sorry that your generation has learned to keep their emotions locked up."

She leaned forward and rested on his chest, "It's not that I don't like it—because I do—it's because I'm not used to it. I don't think of myself in such outlandish terms--" Remus scoffed, "--due to the fact that my mother taught me to be humble. Excessive compliments and lavish gifts—like last night—are usually a guy's way of saying that he wants something."

"You already said no to sex," he replied with a shrug, "Plus, it's guaranteed that you'll be coming home with me. What could possibly be my motivation besides wanting to take you out and seeing you in an amazing dress?"

One brow rose, "The dancing? I knew by the look on your face that you knew what we were getting into. You've been spending a lot of time on my computer of late; I can only wonder what kind of research you've been doing."

He leaned forward and kissed her slowly and deeply. "No amount of research could have completely prepared me for what we did at the club," he said when he let her go. "Had I known you could dance like that, I would have taken you out weeks ago and every weekend since."

"So I danced well, then?" she asked in honest anxiousness.

His eyes closed at the memory and he pulled her closer, letting her feel the rise in his body temperature, "You danced far better than well. I can't even begin to describe…"

She giggled. "It's nice to know I can do something right. I haven't been able to practice much."

"When_ever_ you want to practice, you let me know," he stated adamantly.

"Believe me, you'll be the first one to know."

Settling back farther into the bed, Remus picked up her wand and twirled it in her fingers, running the other hand up and down her back. She sighed happily and closed her eyes.

"Have you thought more on what you're going to tell your parents?" he asked suddenly.

Her eyes snapped open, but she didn't rise to look at him. "A little."

He waited a moment to see if she was going to continue. When she didn't, he prompted her, "And…"

"I think I'm going to tell them I'm going to Oxford. I was accepted at any rate and that will give me an excuse not to come home at least until Christmas. By the time the holidays come around I will have a better excuse or a reason for me not to come home."

Remus' body stiffened and he pulled her up, her wand falling to the floor. Mirri froze at the angry look on his face.

"Why do you _think_ it would be a good idea to lie to them? Don't you _think_ they'll want to have some sense of closure?"

The heat rose in her cheeks as her eyes narrowed. "I've already created something to keep in touch with them. I can let them off easily and still be able to talk with them."

"Regardless, Mirri, how do you think they will handle this when you finally have to tell them that you're _not coming back_?"

"Do _you_ think that they could truly handle the truth about their _only_ daughter traveling to the _past_ of a _fictional_ place?"

He glared back. "I don't want you to regret not telling them the truth now and then having me live with your sorry excuses!"

Her jaw dropped. "My 'sorry excuses?' _That's_ what you don't want to live with?" She stood up and stormed to her closet, throwing on shorts and a t-shirt before coming out, picking up her wand, and throwing it at him. He caught it. She screeched, "Get out! Apparate back to the guesthouse."

He lurched out of the bed and grabbed his shirt from the chair. He put it on before turning to her. His eyes were hard. "I'm sorry that you can't fathom the idea that maybe your parents will actually accept the truth, Mirri."

She looked away. "I have a different relationship with my parents than you do, Remus. _You_ don't speak to yours. So don't put your delusional proposals on me. Get. Out. _Now_."

"Fine," he said, grabbing his wand, "talk to me when you are a little more rational."

He left with a crack.

She launched herself at her bed, screamed into a pillow, and leapt back again. Her entire bed smelled like him. Stowing her wand in her breast band, she stomped downstairs. Her father was just coming in from outside.

"'Morning, sweetheart," he said then stopped when he saw her face. "What did he do to you last night?"

Though the idea of Remus castrated and pummeled by her father had a certain appeal, she was sure to be unhappy about it later. She forced her expression to display a calm ambiance. "He did nothing, daddy," she strained a smile. "I just had a nightmare. I'm just trying to get over it."

He nodded slowly, but still looked skeptical. "Okay, well, your car is packed. And your friends are up and finishing up getting ready to go."

"Thanks, daddy." And she unhurriedly walked toward the guesthouse.

Lily walked out and pulled her with her to stroll down driveway. Mirri kept her mouth shut; Lily didn't say anything except "I'm sorry, honey."

Mirri shrugged but didn't answer.

The men came out of the guesthouse and climbed into the car, Remus sitting in the very back. Mirri sighed. This was going to be a long day and night.

"Let's go," Lily said gently, steering them toward the car, "It will be all right."

Mirri climbed in without a word and started the engine. No one spoke. The twenty minute drive to the cabin passed in awkward silence and as soon as Mirri stopped the car, Remus jumped out and stormed toward the forest. Mirri bit back a sob.

James, Sirius, and Peter looked between the forest where Remus just disappeared and Mirri struggling to hold herself together in the driver's seat. Lily hopped out of the car. "I think I'm going to take our dear hostess to the lake for some swimming," she said to the remaining men. She looked pointedly to the forest.

Mirri shook her head and got out of the car as well. Looking at the forest line she shouted, her voice choked, "You have to understand where I'm coming from, Remus!"

Lily and the men stayed quiet, eyes on the trees.

"You don't exist! How can I tell them the truth when you don't exist?" she continued, her body shaking uncontrollably as she kept her tears at bay.

There was a crack and Remus stood before her, glaring down at her. "Am I not standing in front of you now?" he demanded, "How can I not exist when you see me, hear me, _feel me_ standing in front of you?" He grabbed her shoulders. "Where do you base your logic, Mirri? The little web of lies that you will create will haunt you for the rest of your life."

"So I tell them that I am going to live in the seventies with a werewolf?" she demanded in return, her voice venomous. "Oh, yes. I'm sure that will thrill them."

Remus dropped his hands. "So will them finding out that when you leave for 'Oxford' you won't ever be coming back." He shook his head, "I won't let you do that, Mirri. As much as I love you, if this is going to be such a problem, then I don't want you coming back with me."

Everyone gasped. Mirri's jaw dropped.

"Remus, that's hardly fair," James interjected.

"If she can't settle the issues like Dumbledore instructed then she won't be able to handle the consequences of her actions either," Remus hissed. "And I, for one, don't want to see her suffer for years with the pain of it."

Sending a glare to the rest, Remus Disapparated. Mirri collapsed to the ground choking and coughing on her tears. The others exchanged concerned glances as they watched the girl curl in on herself in the grass. None of them could help in this situation.

Hesitantly, Lily motioned the men to follow her into the cabin, leaving Mirri to her thoughts and her crying. As much as they didn't want to, this was the only thing they could do.

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The sun was setting when Lily and James headed back to the city. Mirri still lay curled on the ground, her crying stopped but she was still unmoving. Remus had not returned the entire day.

Sirius and Peter sighed again.

"The moon will come up soon," Peter stated obviously.

"Thank you for that astute observation, Wormtail," Sirius replied. Looking out the window, he noticed Mirri getting up and stumbling toward the river. "Son of a--" he started, "Peter, why didn't we send her with Lily? Tonight is not going to help."

"Or it might," the other contradicted. "I don't know about you, Sirius, but I think Remus is right in this. She should tell her parents the truth."

"What _we_ think in this situation doesn't matter," the dog said as he headed outside. Peter followed. "Mirri?" he called.

Her eyes looked up at him blankly and both Peter and Sirius started at the dull gaze. Peter tried for a lighter tone, "Hey there, dead-girl-walking, the moon is coming up and you're going to need to—"

He was interrupted by an ear-splitting howl in the distance. Mirri cringed, but otherwise her face remained unchanged. Getting up slowly, she strode toward the cabin, letting her body shift into the white arctic wolf she hadn't morphed into in years. She curled up on the porch and closed her eyes, the excitement of finally being able to turn again lost in her sorrow.

Peter and Sirius exchanged glances as they morphed into their Animagus forms after another hair-raising bay. The two of them settled in for a long night.

It was reaching four in the morning when Sirius quietly spoke, his bark a crack in the silence. Peter woke up from his doze.

"Well, this has been fun," Sirius sarcastically muttered. "The couple I would have never thought could argue is threatening to end their relationship over something so stupid."

"You may find it ridiculous, Sirius," Peter yawned, "but this is important."

"No, it's completely idiotic," Remus' voice came suddenly behind them with a growl.

The two whirled and stared up at his massive frame. His eyes were flaming red as they glared at the cabin. "Should you really be this close to the cabin?" Peter couldn't help but ask, glancing back at the porch. Mirri had jerked awake and was frozen on the steps.

"No," the words came out as a snarl and he stepped forward.

Sirius leapt in front of him, "Maybe you should go back to the trees, Moony."

The werewolf's eyes never left the wolf thirty feet away. "I should, but I won't. You and I need to talk, Mirri."

Mirri slowly came to her feet.

"Not a good idea, Remus," Peter squeaked, spinning in circles knowing he was no match for the werewolf before him.

"Probably not," Mirri agreed. And she came forward submissively.

"What the hell?!" Sirius roared, trying to glare at her while staying in front of Remus. "The man's completely unstable! And you just want to walk to him?!"

"Do you really think you could stop me, Padfoot?" Remus grinned evilly, taking another unhindered step forward.

"I can sure as hell try," Sirius barked. "You're not in the right frame of mind to talk rationally. You'll kill her in the rage you're in."

"Not likely, Sirius," Mirri answered, her voice resigned.

"Regardless of how angry I am with her, I still love her," Remus replied. "If anything, _she's_ the one being irrational."

Mirri snorted. "Forgive me, O' Demon Monster, for not bowing to your fierce lucidity."

He hunkered down, a growl barreling out from deep in his chest, "Jokes, Mirri? How about the truth? You're just afraid your family won't let you leave."

She groaned and howled, "Of course I'm afraid, dammit!"

Remus huffed in surprise and sat back, his bearing for an argument completely gone out, leaving him empty. "Really? That's it? You agree with me?"

"It's been my primary concern since the beginning," she affirmed, sitting down herself.

Peter and Sirius looked at one another. When neither wolf moved from their positions, Sirius stepped back and he and the rat headed to the cabin. Things would resolve out here.

"Explain," Remus demanded as soon as the door to the cabin closed.

Mirri shrugged, the weariness of the day weighing on her, "Not much to explain. I've been 'concerned' since you've come here that my family won't let me leave. My only thought of solving that problem was to tell them I was going to school where you wouldn't be. They think you're going to some other English college."

Remus grunted and flopped on his side, the lightening of the sky indicating his change back. "So this is what our whole argument has been about? You do know that they are already bracing themselves for this?"

"What?" Mirri's face was blank.

"You need to talk more with the others," he said gently, his breathing speeding up as the sky got brighter, "They notice what you don't. Your parents have already accepted that you will leave them."

"They just don't know the permanence of the situation," she sighed.

His body twisted spastically backwards, a yelp of pain escaping. Mirri whimpered in sympathy.

"Regardless," he panted after a moment, "one problem has been solved. That last one is just a slight formality."

"But--"

Remus rocked back and screamed. With a final snap of his spine, he was human again. Mirri raced to the cabin and grabbed Remus' jeans from the rail and ran back. He pulled them on and sat up, taking a few calming breaths, "Shit, that hurts." He turned to her, still sitting in her wolf form. Burying his hands in the scruff of her neck, he stared at her, "Before you change back, listen to me. Your parents love you, and will always love you, whether you are here or somewhere else. They want you to be happy. But I also want you to be happy. If that means you stay, then so be it. I don't want you to torture yourself over this."

Touching her nose to his, she quickly morphed back into a human, his hands now cupping the skin of her neck.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, Remus Lupin," she smiled, her hands reaching up to cup his face, her thumb wiping away the blood from a claw mark, "My place is with you. I would torture myself all over again if I didn't come home with you. Besides, I already told you that I solved the problem of communication. I'll show it to you later."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, dragging his nose along her cheek bone to her ear. "Later is good," he whispered. "I hate arguing with you. Why do we have to argue?"

She leaned forward, taking his earlobe between her teeth. "Every healthy relationship needs to have arguments," she hissed.

"Mmmm," he murmured, dropping an arm to her waist, "I don't like it."

"Then just agree with me," she breathed, kissing his temple.

Propping himself on an elbow in the grass, he pulled back and stared at her skeptically, "I'll agree to disagree."

Smiling brightly, Mirri closed the few inches between them with a searing kiss. "Relationships are all about compromise."

He chuckled, wincing as the movement hurt his sore ribs.

"Good, you've made up," Sirius laughed behind them, bounding down the steps in his human form, "Lily and James just called, and they're on their way here. We need to figure out the details about Wednesday."

Mirri looked at him vacantly, "What's going on Wednesday?"

Surprise couldn't be more evident on the men's faces. "You're coming home," Peter stated slowly. "It's the day after graduation. Today is Monday, tomorrow is graduation, and Wednesday we leave."

"Two days?" she asked in alarm. "That's it?"

"You have to tell your mum and dad which college you're going to today, remember?" Remus reminded, "Just tell them the truth. You're not going to college."

Her wild eyes flew to him, her breathing speeding up. She couldn't respond.

Remus quickly sat up and grasped her shoulders, "Mirri, calm down! It's all right. It will be fine; they will understand. Don't be afraid."

Tears were rolling down her cheeks. Disturbed, Remus wrapped his arms around her and gave Peter and Sirius a frantic look.

"Don't know what to tell you, mate," Sirius replied sympathetically.

Remus nodded and buried his face in her hair, "You can do this, Mirri," he whispered, "Dumbledore said it would work out. You have us here to help."

The sound of tires on gravel reached them, following by a slamming door and running footsteps. Lily's red curls bounced into view. "Is she alright?"

Peter smiled weakly, "It's been a long night; she just realized how little time left she has here."

"You've made up," she sighed happily, kneeling next to the embraced couple. She placed a gentle hand on the other girl's shoulder. When Mirri peeked up from Remus' chest she said, "And you have to know that they already know you're leaving, honey."

Mirri's head shot up. "That's what you keep saying. All of you," she pushed away from Remus. "So they know I'm leaving. Fine. But do they want me to? I don't even know if my magic will be strong enough for me to keep in touch with them."

"What are you talking about?" James asked.

Mirri looked to Lily (who happened to already know about it) waiting for encouragement. When she nodded, she took a deep breath, "With computers nowadays, most people can communicate via the internet on video cameras called web cams. I've tinkered with one to work for my parents and me when I leave."

Everyone nodded in appreciation. "She's just as gifted as you with magic, Lily," James praised, putting an arm around his fiancé's shoulders.

Lily waved off the admiration, "It's strong enough, Mirri," she reassured the girl. "We've tested it again and again."

Mirri nodded grudgingly. "So I tell my parents I'm going to Oxford, tomorrow I graduate, and Wednesday we explain that we're leaving?"

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The first two things occurred without a hitch in the plan. Mirri told her parents she would attend Oxford in the fall, to nods of understanding. Her parents were proud. Graduation was quick and tear-jerking, Mirri giving out final hugs to people she would never see again. The Hogwarts boys had love confessed to them countless times throughout the course of the evening by the female population of the school, though the girls knew it would be impossible. The men sheepishly thanked and apologized.

Wednesday morning dawned bright, warm, and clear to find the Hogwarts wizards and Mirri lounging on the deck, all of them gazing at Mirri as she gathered her courage to confront her parents. No one would speak until she would. Mirri was hoping Dumbledore would show up to help her.

As if reading her thoughts, there was a _crack_ and the old professor stood at the steps. "Good morning, everyone. Everything finalized?"

Mirri's gaze slowly came up to him. "Not quite. I don't know what to say."

Dumbledore chuckled warmly, "You will find that some things can't be scripted. We will help you."

She didn't have time to ask him what he meant when her parents and brother came out of the house.

"Professor Danderworth!" Jean cried happily, rushing forward and shaking hands with the headmaster.

Mirri and her friends looked on in shock. "What--?"

The sound of several cars pulling up stopped the question when car doors slammed and Mirri's school friends walked up the driveway.

"Trust in the ones you love," Dumbledore whispered to Mirri, repeating his statement from the last visit.

Once everyone came up to the deck and exchanged trivial good mornings, Jean jumped straight into the conversation.

"Your professor showed up a couple of weeks ago and we had a lengthy discussion about you, Mirri. Similar conversations have occurred with all of your friends over the course of this visit."

Many nods of confirmations swam throughout both groups of students. Mirri looked around in surprise. "Why?"

"We were concerned mostly," Juliette spoke up.

Jean nodded, "Since your English friends have come here, and particularly John, your entire demeanor has changed. But we want to know why that is."

"We want the truth about what happened in England, Mirri," David added, "We want to know everything, and nothing less."

Mirri glanced to her parents and brother, let her gaze light over Luna, Juliette, Essey, Cecile, Holly, and Isabella, travel over Sirius, Peter, Lily, James, and Dumbledore, and finally let it settle on Remus. He nodded in encouragement.

"Nothing less," she clarified, and stood up. She gave her American family a sheepish smile. "You're going to think I'm crazy."

She absorbed their accepting faces and committed it memory. This would be the scene she remembered when they disowned her for her ludicrous rantings. "I can do magic," she blurted.

Silence.

"Okay…" Joseph said slowly. Looking around, Mirri saw that each of them seriously thought she had gone insane. She knew it.

"You don't believe me," she stated obviously, reaching back and pulling her wand from her breast band, "then I'll just have to prove it."

Quickly thinking, she pointed her wand at a stick on the ground. Immediately the piece of wood changed into a robin. Another flick and it began to do the Macarena. Joseph leapt back with a shout; everyone else's mouths dropped open. Sirius snorted.

"Need more proof?" she asked, a twitch and a purple fire erupted in the air above them. Luna squeaked. Mirri smiled, "You see…the time you remember as a time that I went to England did actually happen. Except, I went _back_ in time to a world that exists only in the imagination."

The eyes of her school friends began to flicker in recognition.

"_Brown Eyes_," Holly whispered.

Her parents were confused, "That story you've been working on for so long?" her mother asked.

Mirri nodded, smiling in relief that she was finally getting through to them. "All that I wrote is true. Every word. I went to Hogwarts and learned how to do magic."

"They can't be…" Isabella started, pointing to the wizards.

Mirri's smile grew, "And why can't they be? Let me introduce Albus Dumbledore, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, the soon-to-be Lily Potter, and Remus Lupin."

For a moment no one moved, they all just stared in shock. Juliette smirked and pointed to Remus. "I give him two trust points for coming to get you," she said to Mirri. The other girls nodded and grinned.

Mirri sank into her chair in relief. "You believe me," she breathed.

"So, we believe you. What now?" Joseph asked, "We've now established that Mirri is a freak, though that was obvious before. Is she going back with you?"

"That's the plan," David stated.

Mirri looked up at him. "Just like that, daddy? You're letting me go just like that? No arguments?"

Her father's smile was gentle. "As everyone seems to know, we knew this would happen."

"It's difficult for us to admit, but easy to accept," Jean elaborated. "I guess you could say that you never really came home, Mirri. And we knew it. You were so stubborn over these last few years. And hard to get a grasp on what you were feeling like a wolf by moonlight. So, I think its best."

"And it's all settled," Dumbledore smiled, stepping down off the deck. "Let us say our good-byes and be off."

The farewells were surprisingly light-hearted. No tears were shed, only happiness. Mirri's parents and brother told her how proud they were of her (Joseph a little reluctantly) and Mirri gave them her magical web cam. With quick instructions, she moved to her school friends. Remus summoned a suitcase from Mirri's room of things she couldn't leave behind.

"I love you," she said to them all as Dumbledore pulled out his wand and a small silver orb.

"Wait, Mirri," Essey interrupted, "In your story, you said you learned how to be an Animagus. Can you still…?"

With a smile, Mirri stepped back, taking a deep breath a melting into her form. White with all of the flecks of autumn gold, she barked in happiness, being able to appreciate her power now more than ever. Sighs of amazement rippled through the group. With a look at the wizards, Sirius, James, and Peter morphed one by one. Lily giggled at the wide eyes.

Coming forward, Mirri allowed each of them to get a feel of her fur, before pulling away and changing back. The boys followed suit.

Dumbledore smiled before turning everyone's attention back to the situation at hand. The orb resting in his palm pulsed several times before floating a foot above his hands. He gave it a tap with his wand in guiding, sending it bobbing away into the clear space in the backyard. It pulsated several more times before expanding into a familiar looking whirlwind.

"Déjà vu," Mirri muttered next to Remus.

He snickered.

"Peter, you first," Dumbledore said.

The boy gave a wave and was swallowed by the whirlwind.

"James, go ahead."

"It was nice meeting all of you," James said before disappearing.

"Lily."

"Thank you for treating us so kindly," she smiled and vanished.

"Sirius."

"Thanks again," he smirked. Mirri's friends sighed forlornly when he disappeared.

"And now it is my turn," Dumbledore stated, "Remus, Mirri, not too long. Jean, David, though parting now seems tragic, the flow of time resumes to a happier existence. Nothing is ever lost."

Overwhelmed with the confusing statement, they could only nod as the professor evaporated. Remus and Mirri stood hand in hand in front of the silver swirl.

"This is what you want?" David inquired softly.

Mirri squeezed Remus' hand. "More than anything."

Her parents gave final nods of acceptance.

"Thank you," Remus sincerely stated, coming forward and giving David a firm hand shake, Joseph's hair a ruffle, and Jean a hug.

"Take care of her," Jean pleaded.

"With my life," Remus solemnly promised, stepping back to take Mirri's hand again. He pulled them back toward the swirl and vanished.

Mirri stood half in, half out, drinking in the appearance of her family and friends. "I love you," she whispered finally.

And she was gone. The whirlwind slowed and condensed, dropping to the ground a moment later as the silver globe.


	6. Epilogue: New Beginnings

Epilogue: New Beginnings

_The temporary feeling of weightlessness dissipated slowly and I opened my eyes to find myself standing in Dumbledore's office, my memory instantly providing the name. But there was no one there. I stood alone in the large room, wondering why, upon my arrival home, everyone would leave me._

"_Hogsmeade," a voice said behind me. _

_I whirled to face the talking portrait. Headmaster Dippet smiled down at me._

"_Dumbledore asked me to pass along this information to you, Miss Libra," he continued, "Regretfully, he states that the others are not here to greet you, and he was held up by matters pertaining to the school, but he will see you again fairly soon. You are to head down to Hogsmeade where someone will meet you."_

"_Oh," I stammered, rather surprised, "okay. Thank you, headmaster."_

"_You're welcome, child."_

_I bounced down the stairs and out the double doors in the Entrance Hall, coming across no one in my dash. The bright sun blinded me for a moment before I continued down the path. Beautiful. I took a deep breath and sighed happily. The main street through Hogsmeade was teeming with students, an explanation for why the school grounds had been vacant. My smile became thoughtful. I never was able to finish me education at Hogwarts, would I be able to make a living here?_

"_Sickle for your thoughts?" a deep voice asked next to me as I perused items in the window of Zonko's._

_My mind blanked blissfully as I turned to the handsome man beside me, sporting jeans, t-shirt, blazer, and the biggest smile I had ever seen. I launched myself at him. He caught me up easily to cheers from the bystanders._

"_I thought this day would never come," he whispered in my ear, sending chills straight to my toes._

"_It's good to be home," I replied, taking a deep inhale. God, he smelled so good._

"_No," he murmured, "_now_ I'm going to take you home. Hold on tight." Adjusting me so that I sat in his arms bridal style, he twisted once and instantly the breath was knocked out of me as we Disapperated. The pressure lasted two seconds before I could breathe again and we stood at the foot of a path._

_Remus gently set me down. My eyes followed the path up to the little house at the end, snug at the edge of the forest. The street was quiet. Deep red brick trimmed with white that was seeing the wear of nature, the two story cottage screamed at me for a little TLC._

"_You live here?" I sighed happily, touching the white door, turning to him. He was standing where we had appeared, watching me. "You live here?" I asked again so he could hear me._

"_With you now, if you'll have it," he said hesitantly._

_I smiled and pushed the door open; he slowly followed. I wandered through the sparsely furnished house, noting the lack of decoration. The living room, kitchen, one bedroom and bathroom took up the first floor. I climbed the stairs and meandered into the master bedroom with bathroom (with a Jacuzzi tub running on magic! Hell yes) then into the small library. I gasped. There was parchment everywhere! Notes and books piled every available space._

_Moving forward, I touched the top piece gently. "You've lived here alone," I said softly. "And all of this research was to get to me?"_

_I felt rather than saw him nod._

"_Well then," I turned to him and smiled brilliantly, walking past him back into the bedroom. I sat on the frayed, black bedspread, "I think I need to put a little bit of a feminine touch to this place."_

_In two steps he pushed me flat against the bed and was looming over me. His gold eyes blazed before he was kissing me. Holy Heaven, this was persuasion I couldn't go against. I didn't try to stop him as he pulled my shirt over my head. He slid us further up the bed, his shirt and blazer gone during the movement._

"_God, I love you," he hissed at my collar bone, my heart sputtered. The button on my jeans popped and his hands were like fire over my skin._

_I kicked my shoes off, my breathing accelerating and heat pooling swiftly between us. His jeans were gone._

"_Don't say no," he struggled to say, his body flush against me._

"_I wouldn't," I moaned. "Please."_

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_Hours later, he and I lay curled together, me feeling the best I have ever felt. Why didn't I give in sooner? I was walking on air. His fingers ran through my hair while I trailed a finger down his chest._

"_Have I told you how much I missed you?" he asked softly, his breath stirring my hair and tickling my face._

"_I think I recall you saying something of the sort during our…um…activities," I blushed._

_I felt him chuckle as he shifted us so that he could see my face. "Have I told you how I love you?"_

_I began to giggle, "Several times."_

_His smile was smug. "Have I asked you to marry me?"_

_I choked and stared at him, my thoughts not forming anything coherent to respond with. He stretched out a hand and a small wood box flew into it._

"_Mirri Seleena Libra," he sighed, my name sending me into chills, and fingered my hair out of my eyes. "I couldn't imagine life without you. That's why I came after you. My life is with you, my heart is yours, and I want you to marry me. Will you marry me?"_

_The box opened and lying on a bed of crushed velvet rested a silver band with three diamonds of varying sizes. My hands immediately covered my mouth._

"_Yes!" I blurted through them, "Of course I will."_

_Half a second later, he was kissing me so enthusiastically, I barely felt him slip the ring on my finger. It instantly felt a part of me. I wrapped my arms around his neck as we sank further into the bed. We wouldn't be resurfacing for a while._

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**A/N: Again, it has taking me too long to finish this. Thanks for reading, thanks for REVIEWING! ~A.I.**


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